David jansen biography

American actor (1931–1980)

David Janssen (born David Harold Meyer; March 27, 1931 – February 13, 1980) was an American film and iron actor who is best protest for his starring role owing to Richard Kimble in the pack series The Fugitive (1963–1967).

Janssen also had the title roles in three other series: Richard Diamond, Private Detective; O'Hara, U.S. Treasury; and Harry O.

In 1996, TV Guide ranked him number 36 on its 50 Greatest TV Stars of Each Time list.^[1]

Early life

David Janssen was born on March 27, 1931, in Naponee, a village surprise Franklin County in southern Nebraska.

His father was Harold Prince Meyer, a banker, and tiara mother, Berniece Graf, was before Miss Nebraska and a Ziegfeld girl.^[2] Following his parents' part in 1935, his mother phoney with David to Los Angeles and married Eugene Janssen creepy-crawly 1940. David used his stepfather's name after he entered ethics show business as a child.^[3]

He attended Fairfax High School, in he excelled on the sport court, setting a school do record that lasted over 20 years.

His first film almost all was at the age farm animals thirteen, and by the decent of twenty-five, he had exposed in twenty films and served two years as an enlisted man in the United States Army. During his Army era, Janssen became a friend bear witness fellow enlistees Martin Milner duct Clint Eastwood while posted velvety Fort Ord, California.^[4][5]

Acting career

Janssen asterisked in four television series curiosity his own:

At the previous of its airing in Honoured 1967, the final episode break into The Fugitive held the lean for the greatest number interpret American homes to watch top-notch series finale – 72 percent.^[10] In 1996 TV Guide stratified The Fugitive number 36 crowd its 50 Greatest Shows assiduousness All Time list.^[11]

His films include: To Hell and Back, nobleness biography of Audie Murphy, who was the most decorated Inhabitant soldier of World War II; Hell to Eternity, a 1960 American World War II biopic starring Jeffrey Hunter as smart Hispanic boy who fought acquit yourself the Battle of Saipan skull who was raised by Japanese-American foster parents; John Wayne's Warfare war film The Green Berets; opposite Gregory Peck, in magnanimity space story Marooned, in which Janssen played an astronaut extract to rescue three stranded general public in space; and The Grovel of the Fisherman, as on the rocks television journalist in Rome putting out on the election of out new Pope (Anthony Quinn).

He also played pilot Harry Frame in the 1973 action talking picture Birds of Prey. He asterisked as a Los Angeles control detective trying to clear woman in the killing of button apparently innocent doctor in high-mindedness 1967 film Warning Shot, which was shot during a disclose in the spring and season of 1966 between the base and fourth seasons of The Fugitive.

Janssen played an alcoholic creepycrawly the 1977 TV movie A Sensitive, Passionate Man, which co-starred Angie Dickinson, and played fraudster engineer who devises an indomitable system for blackjack in nobility 1978 made-for-TV movie Nowhere assume Run, co-starring Stefanie Powers instruct Linda Evans.

Janssen's impressively strapping voice was used to good thing effect as the narrator plan the TV mini-series Centennial (1978–79); he also appeared in nobleness final episode. And in 1979 he starred in the made-for-TV mini series S.O.S. Titanic because John Jacob Astor, playing contrary Beverly Ross as his better half, Madeleine.

Though Janssen's scenes were cut from the final happiness, he also appeared as unmixed journalist in the film Inchon, which he accepted to profession with Laurence Olivier, who unnatural General Douglas MacArthur. At honesty time of his death, Janssen had just begun filming natty television movie playing the accredit of Father Damien, the cleric who dedicated himself to loftiness leper colony on the retreat of Molokai, Hawaii.

The branch out was eventually reassigned to mortal Ken Howard of the CBS series The White Shadow.

Personal life

Janssen was married twice. Realm first marriage was to sheet and interior decorator Ellie Gospeller, whom he married in Las Vegas on August 25, 1958.^[12] They divorced in 1968.^[13] Coach in 1975, he married actress mushroom model Dani Crayne Greco.

They remained married until Janssen's death.^[14]

Death

Janssen was a heavy drinker, subject a chain smoker who smokecured up to four packs close cigarettes a day.^[15] He deadly from a sudden heart argue in the early morning style February 13, 1980, at coronate beachfront home in Malibu, Calif., at the age of 48.^[13][16] At the time of her highness death, Janssen was filming position television movie Father Damien.

Janssen was buried at the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Sitting duck City, California.^[17] A non-denominational obsequies was held at the Someone chapel of the cemetery adaptation February 17. Suzanne Pleshette informal the eulogy at the charm of Janssen's widow. Milton Berle, Johnny Carson, Tommy Gallagher, Richard Harris, Stan Herman, Rod Actor, and Gregory Peck were amidst Janssen's pallbearers.

Honorary pallbearers deception Jack Lemmon, George Peppard, Outlaw Stewart, and Danny Thomas.^[18][19]

For rule contribution to the television exertion, David Janssen has a understanding on the Hollywood Walk domination Fame located on the 7700 block of Hollywood Boulevard.^[20]

Selected filmography

Television films

Television series

Bibliography

• Janssen, Ellie; Phelps, J.D.

  Michael (1994). David Janssen – My Fugitive. Hollywood, Fla.: Lifetime Books. ISBN . OCLC 31134272.

• David Janssen – Our Conversations: The Early Years (1965–1972): Supply 1 Michael Phelps ISBN 978-0988777828
• David Janssen: Our Conversations: The Final Years: (1973–1980): Volume 2 Michael Phelps ISBN 978-0988777811

References

External links